The Table
by beaglelover719
Summary: The team is celebrating together and trying to fix a rift between JJ and Hotch. (Really bad title but if you read it you'll understand why it stuck.) JJ/Hotch, established Morgan/Prentiss, Garcia/Kevin, Rossi/Strauss. For the life of me I can't dream up a girl for Reid - sorry. Mild Smut. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: Not mine but I've been pretty good this year so who knows? ;)**

**A/N – So I started this story with a Christmas fic in mind. It so completely took a life of its own and does not even remotely resemble Christmas, although there is a comment about snow….**

JJ took another sip of wine as she cautiously stole another glance at Hotch on the other side of the room. His head was bent low working on something with Jack and Henry. She smiled slightly then turned to find Emily studying her.

"You know, you could tell him that you made a mistake. It's healthy to admit when you're wrong."

JJ had confided several weeks ago to her friends that she'd slept with her boss. Then, to make matters worse, she panicked and told Hotch that it had been a mistake. Now she was faltering, she was in love with the man and didn't know how to undo the damage that she'd done. "I was just checking on Henry."

Emily pursed her lips. "Jayje, you've lied to yourself for so long you're starting to believe it. You're in love with Hotch." She stated boldly.

"I am not." She argued, shocked by her friends intuition and fear that she'd become transparent.

"Oh, Peaches." Garcia sighed, joining the conversation. "You are. As your friends we can no longer support your lies." She shook her head. "Sometimes, when you look at him, you get a glazed look in your eyes, I'm pretty sure you're thinking about what is was like to do the horizontal mambo with him and how much you'd like to be doing it on a regular basis."

"You do," Emily agreed. "You really do. In fact, you do it so often that I'm starting to have visions of you and Hotch together."

"Oh my gosh! Me too!" Garcia agreed as she turned to JJ. "It's always really hot too."

"Meh." Emily responded, wanting a reaction from JJ.

JJ obliged her by admitting, "I don't need you two fantasizing about it, I do it enough for all of us." She peeked his way again just as he bent over her sons shoulder. "God, I'm such an idiot."

"You can fix it." Emily advised. "It's not too late."

"Totally." Garcia agreed as she leaned forward and unbuttoned the last done up button on JJ's blouse. "Why don't you go and see what it is the boys are doing?" She gestured with her head. "Make sure you do a little leaning."

"Oh because that will totally make up for crawling all over him then giving him whiplash as I backed away."

"You were scared." Garcia defended. "He'll understand that."

"Why would he even want to bother with me after that?" JJ questioned. "We didn't just mutually agree to a hook up. I pursued him, vigorously. I was the aggressor."

"Oh and the poor guy probably fought so hard." Emily scoffed. "JJ the man practically drools when he watches you."

JJ glanced over once again. He was still engaged with Henry but now he was on his knees bringing him to the same level as her son. He must have said something that Henry found amusing because she could hear his giggle across the room. Was it any wonder she was so completely besotted?

Without knowing her expression had softened as she looked towards him. "Do you really think he would understand?" JJ looked to her friends with hope.

"Yes." Penelope was quick to respond.

"Absolutely." Emily was just as emphatic. However her face became puzzled as she watched Rossi lead over a petite blonde to introduce to Hotch. "Um, I thought this was a family only gathering?"

"Why who do you see that you don't…Oh." Penelope stopped when she noticed who Emily was referring to. "Oh! I am so going to rip David Rossi a new one."

JJ, who had her back turned on the scene, turned back around to find Rossi standing with one hand resting on a now standing Hotch's back, beside him was a pretty blonde who was encouragingly smiling up at the man she had just determined to go and attempt to make amends to.

"Oh no." Derek Morgan groaned as he watched the scene unfolding.

"What?" Spencer Reid popped his head up from the book he'd pulled from the shelves of Rossi's library.

"Rossi got a date for Hotch." He said in stunned disbelief.

Blinking owlishly he turned to find the man in question. "Is it just me or could she pass for a younger JJ?"

"It's not just you." Morgan shook his head and watched as trouble came aiming for him. "Oh shit." He didn't get to clarify that exclamation before an irate Emily Prentiss hissed.

"Did you know he was planning this? Because she was this close to telling him she made a mistake."

"Crap." He frowned over at a noticeably subdued JJ.

"I am going to kill, Dave." Emily threatened.

"I'm going to help you, babe." He placed a hand consolingly on her shoulder.

"I'm going to rip him to tiny, little shreds with my bare hands."

"Too bloody." Reid commented. "We can come up with a smarter solution than that. We are profilers after all. We should know how to commit the perfect crime. Wasn't it nice of Dave to volunteer to become the victim?" He too had noticed the sadness around JJ's eyes as well. "Did we not tell him it would work itself out?"

"You all should know the man is far too arrogant to listen to any advice that differs from his own opinion." They hadn't realized that Erin Rossi had joined them. "I told him this was a stupid idea." She glared at her husband. "He was also going to hire a date for JJ. He didn't trust her not to make a scene."

"He _hired_ her?" Emily snickered. "Problem solved, Hotch will kill him." She predicted.

"She's an actress not an escort," Erin clarified.

"Well, that makes it so much better." Emily rolled her eyes. "Your husband is an ass."

Not the least bit offended by the insult, Erin agreed. "I wish I could argue that point but unfortunately you're right." She looked over as JJ turned to leave the room. "So how do we fix the idiots' mess?"

"What was the 'not escort' hired to do exactly?" Emily questioned.

Erin hung her head. "I believe she was hired to appear infatuated with Aaron." The entire group grimaced as the blonde giggled loudly at something the Unit Chief had said.

"Oh she's an Oscar contender." Morgan noted dryly. He looked over at Reid. "You know, there is someone here that is currently unattached and from her relative age group."

"Who?" The young genius questioned, looking about the gathering. He gulped when he realized the three of them were staring intently at him. He then realized, belatedly, that Morgan was referring to him. "I'm supposed to compete with Hotch for a hot blonde? He's like…"

"Old enough to be her father." Emily finished, glaring at the unsuspecting assemble.

"She doesn't appear to mind." Reid commented dryly as he watched the woman engage their boss in conversation.

"She's getting paid, man." Morgan pointed out. He reached out and straightened Reid sweater vest and ruffled his hair in an attempt to style it. "Would it hurt you to take some effort with your appearance?"

"Don't mind him, Spence; he said the same thing to me when we were getting ready." Emily grinned as Reid slapped her husband's hand as he was attempting to tuck his shirttail into his jeans. "He doesn't heed boundaries either." She rubbed a hand over her distended stomach. "I don't even know how this happened."

Morgan stopped and raised a brow at his humorous wife. "I'll remind you as soon as we get home."

"Well, I guess we should be thankful they're waiting to return home this time." Erin sniggered. "Last time we weren't so fortunate."

Pen wandered into the kitchen to find out what was keeping JJ. She found her staring out the window at the softly falling snow.

"It's really picturesque, isn't it?" There wasn't another house for miles and the cabin was nestled in front of a backdrop of blue spruce. The snow was wet and clinging to the needles of the trees, frosting them. "I'm thinking maybe Henry and I should head home. I wouldn't want to get stuck here."

"Jennifer Jareau if you are thinking of slinking out of here without even attempting to talk to Hotch I am going to be sorely disappointed in you." Her friend protested.

"In case you haven't noticed Hotch is a little busy right now." And it was all her fault. They could have been happily celebrating the occasion together if she hadn't been so foolish.

"So? Go interrupt him. Ask him if you could have a minute of his time." Penelope argued. "I'd bet my troll collection that he'd excuse himself from Faux JJ's clutches."

"Faux JJ?" The real deal smirked.

"Please, this has the stink of David Rossi a mile away." Penelope growled. "We told him not to interfere but he thinks he's smarter than everyone else." In her rambling she didn't notice the narrowing of JJ's eyes.

"Told him not to interfere in what exactly?" JJ asked, fearing the answer. "Oh my God. Everyone knows?" When Penelope just winced JJ sunk down in a chair at the kitchen table. "How does everyone know?"

"Peaches, you work with a team of profilers. After you and Will split you and Hotch got noticeably closer. Then you come back to work after one weekend and something obviously changed. Emily and I managed to weasel the story out of you and Rossi and Morgan weaseled the story out of Hotch. We were close to staging an intervention but Hotch caught wind of it and put an end to it."

JJ looked up at her with confusion, maybe he was fine with the way things were. "Did he say why?"

"He said, 'If I can accept her decision to remain just friends, the rest of you will as well.'" Garcia reluctantly confessed. "But Jay, he didn't want to accept it. He was crushed."

"Oh so going out there now, when he has a young thing hanging on his every word, wouldn't seem the least bit suspect? He's going to believe I had a change of heart before another woman started showing interest in him? It looks like a case of me not wanting him, but not wanting anyone else to have him either!"

"But you do want him." Penelope disputed.

"I know, but I told him that I didn't!" JJ snapped back, angry at herself and the situation than anything else.

"Well take it back."

"I can't just take it back."

"Do you think he's going to wait for you forever, JJ?" Penelope asked softly. "He respected your wishes so much that he backed off even though it wasn't what he wanted. He did that because he trusted that you would work through your issues and go to him. But instead of swallowing your pride and marching your tiny hiney up to him and admitting you were wrong you're going to let him walk off with another woman?"

"I don't think he's going to walk off with her." JJ grumbled.

"Maybe not tonight, but if you think he's going to just sit around waiting for you to pull your head out of your ass I'll be the first to tell you you're wrong. And I'll be the first to support him when he does find someone that's willing to fight for him." Penelope sighed as she took in the dejected shoulders of her friend. "What the heck happened to the gal that stalked him and didn't take no for an answer?"

"She's scared." JJ pouted, hating that everything her friend was spewing at her was true. "I'm crap at relationships, Pen."

"Uh! You're giving Rossi a run for his money tonight. I'm not sure which one of you I want to strangle most!"

"I screwed up Pen. I just can't wave a wand and undo that. I basically did a hit and run on him." She dropped her head into her hands. "Before we did anything he told me to make sure it was what I wanted because we couldn't undo it." She had responded by removing her skirt and top.

Pen went and pulled JJ into a hug. "You realize you're scared because you're in love with him, right?"

"Yeah."

Hotch had watched the party like he was viewing it from his TV at home. He'd seen Emily and Penelope with JJ off in a corner, he'd known they were most likely trying to convince her to muster her courage and come and talk to him. He prayed they were successful; waiting for her to come around was getting increasingly harder.

His hopes were shattered when Rossi strolled up to him introducing the young woman that he'd brought with the specific intent on making JJ jealous. He listened halfheartedly to their banter while he watched as Emily stalked over to Reid and Morgan who were then joined by Erin.

He smiled at Morgan's attempts to groom Reid and he frowned as JJ disappeared into the kitchen only to be followed shortly thereafter by Penelope after she had a brief consultation with her husband, Kevin, who was busily ignoring everyone as he studiously completed a crossword puzzle, oblivious to everything that was going on around him.

He waited until Rossi was finally out of earshot before he turned back to the young woman that was pleasantly smiling up at him. He chose to ignore the thumbs up that the older man was sending his way. "So, how do you know Dave?" He watched as she looked to the right. Recall. She was definitely trying to remember her lines. Actress.

"I met him at a book signing."

He smiled down at her feeling a little guilty but he refused to go along with Dave's plan. He wasn't going to hurt JJ's feelings to go along with a ridiculous plan concocted by a loon. He loved his friends, he loved that they were concerned about what was going on between himself and JJ, but he knew JJ better than anyone gave him credit for. He knew that they were inevitable; she just needed to wrap her brain around it. Judging by the looks she shot him when she thought no one was looking he knew that she was getting there. "Look, Meghan, I know that Dave hired you for the evening." He watched as the blonde flushed an angry red.

"I'm not a…"

He interrupted before she finished, worried about how much the boys were overhearing. "You're an actress."

She frowned, worriedly. "How did you know?"

"Let's just say I know Dave pretty well."

"You're not going to rat me out are you?" Mr. Rossi had promised her a lot of money to act like she was interested in his friend. "He promised to talk to his agent about putting me in the commercial for his next book."

"No, but I am going to introduce you to a more age appropriate colleague." He motioned for Reid to join them and performed the necessary introductions. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Emily was giving Rossi a verbal lashing, his smile grew as he watched Penelope exit the kitchen and make her way across the room to join in.

He looked down at the boys, now busily working through the activity books he brought along. "Jack, I'm going to go into the kitchen for a minute, keep an eye on Henry will you?"

He took a step to where Reid was now busily flirting with the actress that Rossi hired. "I'm going in the kitchen to speak to JJ." He announced. "If anyone attempts to go through the door I expect you to shot them, if it's Rossi aim below the belt." He waited barely a beat before the younger man acknowledged his request then he was off on his pursuit.

She was seated at the table silently shredding a napkin when he walked through the door. "Why are you hiding in here?"

She'd been thinking about him, considering everything that Penelope said, and working up the courage to go and find him. "I figured it was safer for Rossi." She watched as he leaned back against the counter, crossing his feet at the ankles in front of him.

It appeased him a little to realize that she had been a little jealous. "I introduced her to Reid. They're more in the same age bracket."

"She seemed very interested in you." JJ knew that the young woman was brought there by Rossi's machinations but she also recognized the very real appreciation in her eyes when she glanced up at Hotch. It might have been a job but it was nowhere near a hardship to pretend attraction to the man.

"She was paid to appear interested in me. She'll be happy to know that she's doing a good job."

Continuing her assault on the napkin she quietly stated. "I made a mistake, Aaron."

"You've already said that JJ, I've respected your wishes on the subject."

Her hands dropped the napkin and her eyes met his hotly. "That wasn't the mistake I was referring to and you know it."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not going to make it easy for you. You know how I feel about you, that hasn't changed." He swallowed as her eyes filled with tears and said a prayer that he wouldn't buckle. "I told you if you're just looking for someone to scratch an itch when you feel the need, I'm not that guy. I love you, JJ. I'm in love with you." He shut up as the first tear plopped.

"I'm just going to screw this up." She bit at her lower lip as the tears continued to flow.

"I'm not going to let you." He responded. "I'm a pretty hard headed guy, I don't give up easily and I can wait as long as you need me to."

"So you said." She sniffled. "Pen said you were going to get tired of waiting for me."

"Are you going to jerk me around again? Are you going to leave with me tonight and spend the night with me only to tell me once again in the morning it was a mistake?"

She conjured up a memory of them intertwined in one another and wiped at her tears. "No." She pushed away from the table and stood up. "Yes, god I hope so, and no." She was going to do whatever was necessary to make this work.

He pushed away from the counter and met her halfway.

"You know I love you, right?" She asked after he kissed her thoroughly.

"It's the only thing that made the wait bearable." He kissed her temple.

"I'll make it up to you." JJ caressed his face tenderly, sighing as her eyes lit on the table behind them. "Is that the table that Rossi imported from Italy?" It was a beautiful piece of furniture large enough to look cozy in the enormous space.

He looked down at her puzzled by the question. "Yeah." He watched in confusion as she stepped out of his embrace and moved the portable island in front of the kitchen door making it impossible for anyone to enter. They would be able to open the door but they wouldn't be able to enter the kitchen nor would they be able to see into the room completely. "What are you doing?"

She gave him a Cheshire grin as she slipped off her shoes. "I'm about to make love with you on Dave's prized table."

He grinned at the mischievous glint in her eyes. "You know he loves that table." They had all heard him brag about it enough.

She shimmed off her jeans. "Oh, I know."

"He's not going to be happy."

"I'm going to be happy. You're going to be happy. I'm not seeing a problem." Her top hit the floor.

"Dave really should have considered the risk involved when he pissed you off." He reached out for her. "I warned him not to interfere." He hissed out a breath as JJ's hands went to work on his jeans.

She giggled as she backed him up to the table. "It will hold us, right?"

"It's solid oak. It'll hold." Hotch was busily relieving her of her bra, now fully on board with the plan.

He jerked as her hand surrounded him. "I was almost worried you were going to disappoint me."

"Keep that up and I might." He groaned as her hand stoked him softly.

"I thought you would try to talk me out of it." She clarified. Her other hand had begun working franticly on the buttons of his oxford. She now was open mouth kissing each bit of skin that she exposed. She gasped as he removed her panties, turned, lifted and placed her on the table, the cool surface making her shiver.

He stopped long enough to drop his jeans and boxers from his hips before plunging in to her warm, welcoming heat. "Talking you out of it never crossed my mind." He reached for her thighs; pulling her tight and having her wrap her legs around his hips all the while furiously pumping in and out of her.

"I love you." JJ moaned as his hand reached between them and sent her spiraling. She latched on to his mouth, their tongues dueling as he continued drive into her. "Oh god." He felt her tighten again and let himself be pulled along with her.

"I love you." Hotch kissed her softly, still embedded in her warmth.

"Ah! Not my table!" The shout broke the reverie they were enjoying together.

JJ jumped slightly at the voice behind her even as she pressed herself more fully into Hotch. She hadn't realized there was another entrance to the room.

"I eat there!" Rossi grumbled disgustedly. With his arm flung across his eyes he groaned. "God, please don't tell me you didn't too!"

Hotch chortled. "There wasn't enough time for foreplay but if you find your way back out of here I'll see if I can remedy that."

"To think that I came in here to apologize." Rossi complained.

"Apology accepted." JJ giggled. "Now do you mind? I'm kind of naked here."

"I know, your bare ass is on my Italian, hand-carved farm table." He growled. "I hope you like it because it's yours now. You've taken all the joy out of it."

"If it makes you feel better it gave me a lot of joy." Hotch remarked as JJ continued to giggle, tucked contentedly into his chest.

"No it does not make me feel better."

"Maybe this will teach you not to meddle. Personally I think you should be thanking JJ. I was incredibly pissed at you for your interference." He frowned at the older man. "Really Dave, that girl out there is barely in her twenties. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking a push might help. Considering your pants are around your ankles _you_ should be thanking _me_."

"Again, naked here, can we get dressed and maybe finish this later?"

"Oh I have a better view of Hotch's ass than I do yours." Rossi griped as he sauntered out the door.

"Is he gone?" JJ looked up at Hotch.

"Yes." His hands bracketed her face as he tilted her head so his mouth could meld with hers. The kiss was soft and sweet and conveyed to her the love he felt. "We should probably get dressed."

"Mmm." She licked at his lips and deepened the kiss. She groaned as she felt him harden once more. "Is there anything to put in front of the other entrance?" She panted.

"If we stay here much longer they are just going to come looking for us." He watched her face as she contemplated another discovery. "We don't want the boys to get curious and follow them."

The last comment effectively put a halt on her ardor. "We'll continue this later?"

He chuckled as he nipped at her mouth once more. "Oh yeah."

"What!" Penelope interrupted Rossi during his highly amusing narrative. "No way! On your hand-carved, custom made, Italian artistry…

"Enough with the adjectives, Pen. We all know that Rossi loves his table." Morgan shook his head at the image, more than a little surprised that their esteemed leader would lose his famous control and nail JJ on the damn kitchen table!

"Loved." Dave made a disgusted face. "I can't imagine sitting down to a meal there ever again."

"That's was Lysol is for." Emily smirked. "That JJ, she's a wily one." She looked over at Rossi. "I certainly would never want to piss her off."

"I thought I was doing her a favor." He tersely replied.

His wife raised a finely sculpted brow. "Yes, because every woman considers having another woman bought as a date for the man she's in love with a favor." She sighed. "Especially one that is almost a doppelganger, only younger. You are practically the gift that keeps giving, dear."

Rossi scowled at his wife's sarcasm. "I think everyone is missing the most important point."

"Bring Lysol wipes when we're invited over to Emily and Derek's?" Penelope quipped.

"No!" Rossi growled, then, remembering Emily's comment, "Well, probably. But the important thing is JJ and Hotch are together. Thank you, David Rossi." He finished with a flourish of arms, followed by a bow.

"Where are the boys?" The pair that had been the topic of the conversation had rejoined their 'family' only to see that their sons were missing.

"Reid and your date are playing hide and seek with them." Emily responded, noting that the pair was now hand and hand. "They had no idea there was a rousing game of hide the sausage going on in the kitchen." Her grin grew as Hotch turned an alarming shade of red. She looked over at JJ. "Did you win?"

JJ held up a peace sign. "Twice."

"I really hope you get over the embarrassment of getting caught on my kitchen table soon, I hate that you're so mortified." Rossi noted wryly.

"Please if I'd known the boys were otherwise engaged I would have seen how it held up to our full combined weight." JJ replied, completely unabashed. "But since it's mine now I'm sure I'll have the opportunity." She graced Rossi with a full smile. "I do so like the feel of hand-carved wood on my bare skin."

"I hope you get a splinter in an inappropriate place."

"Ooh, me too."

"I guess I do really owe you an apology." Rossi grumbled, realizing that he'd been put in his place. He really shouldn't have gone through with hiring the actress to pretend to be infatuated with Hotch. Everyone had told him repeatedly that it would work itself out. He needed to learn to be a little more patient and listen every once in a while.

JJ grinned. "Well, I guess I owe you a 'Thank You'. While your plot was really juvenile and half-baked, you only did it out of the goodness of your heart."

Rossi cocked an eyebrow at her. "So you probably want to apologize for ruining my table."

"Not really." The pretty blonde replied.

"JJ, you had sex on the man's prize possession." Morgan pointed out.

"Hardly his prize possession." Erin scoffed.

"Regardless, he was pretty fond of it." Kevin observed.

"Listen, I will treasure it always. It has far more sentimental value to me than it does Rossi." She grinned wickedly up at Hotch. "And I promise I'll have Aaron help me wax it on a regular basis."

"That's just wrong." Rossi cried, shaking his head, but he couldn't help the grin that crossed his features as he watched his friend lean down and kiss the sassy blonde who soiled his table.

**Thanks for reading! **


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